Mandrillus

Mandrillus 

a genus of lower catarrhines of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. Closely related to the genus Papio, it comprises two species—the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) and the drill (M. leucophaeus). In males, the body length is 70-80 cm, the tail length 7-12 cm, and the weight up to 20 kg. The females are considerably smaller than the males. These animals have powerfully built bodies. The forelimbs are longer than the hind limbs, and the first toe is very large. The head is massive, with a broad and protruding face. Male mandrills, the most brilliantly colored of all mammals, have bright red noses and shiny, blue, wrinkled ridges along the cheeks. Female mandrills and drills have a somewhat paler coloration. There are clusters of white hairs along the sides of the face; the beard is dark orange, and the body fur is brown or black. The buttock pads are red, blue, or violet.

Mandrills and drills are distributed in West Africa (Cameroon, Fernando Poo), where they inhabit rain forests and mountain regions. They stay primarily on the ground, often among rocks. They are omnivorous and live in small groups. Mandrills and drills have gestation periods of approximately eight months. The mating of female mandrills and drills with baboons, mangabeys, and macaques results in offspring.

REFERENCES

Zhizn’ zhivotnykh, vol. 5. Moscow, 1970. Pages 586-87.
Napier, J. R., and P. Napier. A Handbook of Living Primates. London New York, 1967.

M. F. NESTURKH